Great "How To Tell Family We Need To MoneySa...

[MSE Martin]

What's the problem?

You want, or need, to tell your spouse, parent or children that there is a need to save cash and cut back, but you're finding it impossible, they don't want to listen. So how do you convince them it's time to learn how to be a MoneySaver?

What to do?

I'd like to tap MoneySavers' wealth of experience to put together a database of tips on how to do it. If you've successfully convinced someone to become a savvier consumer let me know.

Click reply to add your experiences/suggestions

[Tondella]

I showed my OH how much money we were spending servicing our debts (minimum repayments) and calculated that he could afford to run the car of his dreams or go on a city break once a month on the money we were giving to credit card companies. That focused his mind.

Then i showed him that with a bit of effort we could have them paid off in two years. Until that point i think he thought that it would take so long to be debt free it wasn't worth trying.

[lynzpower]

I agree with TOndella, projections are excellent way of getting people on board.

My OH has seen how much money Ive made through selling stuff and generally moneysaving, and as a result we know we will be almost 600 per month better off when we are debt free. Which will be spent on a home abroad, holidays, meals out or generally wasted on clothes.

By then though I suppose we will be too tight to spend it!

[gingercordial]

Something tangible helps I think. I'm lucky to be in a position to not have to cut back (no debt) but still I want to maximise my savings for future big expenses (house, wedding, holidays etc) so I'm a big fan of MSE!

My OH just couldn't quite get why I would bother buying stuff via cashback websites or with a cashback card, to him it was just something else to have to remember so not worth it seeing as we're not in debt. That was until I had my first cheque through the post from Greasypalm! He was genuinely surprised that an actual cheque for actual money had appeared just because I'd made the effort to use one website rather than another.

Now I still can't necessarily get him to use that kind of thing himself, but at least he's stopped telling me I'm some weird money obsessive!

[elona]

We are thinking of scraping together enough for a bigger house and DH told our daughters that we would all have to "tighten our belts".

Response was that we are hardly extravagent as it is so where could we possibly cut back?

I have a feeling that I will be re reading the thread on cheap meals etc.

[wolfehouse]

my husband seems to have come round only after i could show him big savings. saved �200 on home insurance. He was so impressed that he did all the work to save �50 on AA renewal. the little stuff doesn't seem to impress him though.

[viktory]

Keeping a strict spending diary and a simple spreadsheet showing incoming and outgoing expenditure works well, especially for the 'pointless' spending. Then show the person you are trying to convince. Scary seeing exactly how much money you waste.

[SAP_Saver]

I found that showing how much was wasted on BAD PRODUCTS and how much can be saved just by being selective about who you use to provide the products - from shopping at TESCO not Sainsburys, getting the loose veg and not the plastic pre-packed... to spending a couple of hours checking house insurance and car insurance not just taking the first one you find!

[bylromarha]

Putting a picture of the next big purchase we need to make on the fridge...constant reminder that's it's worth the few extra minutes hunting for the best deal on everyday items.

[sarah*a]

My darling OH thinks I'm touched in the head because most of the christmas present shopping has already been done in the sales. He says the gifts 'clutter up the house'.

So I told him in 2007 I'd buy everything in a big xmas shop in december. He was all for it until I explained that we wouldn't be able to go on holiday in 2008 - as we wouldn't be able to afford it.

We struggle with the money we have - but he doesn't see the 'big picture' - he just sees what cash we have at that moment. For example - we have �10, I see a perfect gift that I know DD wants for b'day/xmas and its majorly reduced. I will buy it and save - he would rather wait until we had �20 and buy it - even if it costs 3 times as much.

hope that makes sense! :confused:

He is starting to come round to the fact that we can either live day to day with an OK lifestyle - or stick to a budget and have a couple of weeks of luxury every year!

[EagerLearner]

My OH was converted when I showed him how much could be made via Quidco.com - in one (best ever) month I made £108 - so he asked me to open an account for him and is now making his own money, plus he liked the spreadsheet I put together. Looking at the colour charts on the spreadsheet was more effective for him than just numbers, so we have kept the spreadsheet going, and even passed it on to y'all MSER's - below!

[EagerLearner]

Now I just need him to allow me to comb through his bank statements to log his own spending, so he can see where the money 'dissapears to' every month!

[rrutter]

I started to become quite obsessive about it - however as I just bought my house, afforded all the insurance and saved just about everywhere from the valuation fee to the contents insurance people are starting to come round. My boss came round the way of thinking having seen me scrap the money for just the house and essentials. Now I have insurance and all sorts that I couldn't do with the first set of figures. Recently he proudly announced he had refused to buy the £1.84 bottle of water in the pretol shop, but came in nicked one of my empty ones and filled it from the free water dispenser in the foyer. I suppose share and share alike??? It does take some time to lick it all into shape the first time, but after that the maintenance effort is fairly minimal. People see the changes in lifestyle and soon start asking questions .... quite a good incentive when I could afford to go on days out this year!!!!
Shame I now have a house that needs rewiring - but never fear the MSE in me has come up with a plan: get a labourer in to prep chasing into walls taking up floorboards etc, sparky to do the actual work, bought in bulk the required cables etc with a friend doing a new build and then labourer to do the plastering afterwards. I then get to slap paint on the walls again! So far costs come down from £2000 to £1200 not to shabby!!!!

[BestFootForward]

Sometimes my OH and I think completely differently about money.

When I try to show her a spreadsheet, she runs a mile.
So I just told her how quickly we could be debt free if we can find an extra xxx amount a month. That really worked!

Ok, we're not saving that extra amount yet, but there has been a big shift in attitude towards money for her, and given a little more time, we will find that extra amount.

[gb57]

Uh oh - some your OHs sound just like my dear long departed dad! I was one of 6 kids and mum scrimped and scraped and reused and recycled, never threw anything away, etc. etc - Dad spent money he did not have, and when he did have any he threw it around - generous to a fault, so what if the rent is not paid next week, or the kids need new shoes! My mum ended up keeping secrets from him about money. When each of us started work she took money from us for our "keep". When they were offered the chance of a 100% GLC mortgage to buy their own home (we lived in a council flat, and this was way before the days when you could buy your council home - most of us had left home by then), he said "can't be done, we can afford the mortgage, but no money for deposit". Mum had the money - secretly squirreled away from the money we had given her for our keep. We all thought it was great!

We all benefited in the end, when she died last year (Dad died 26 yrs ago), we each inherited �35,000 from the sale of her flat! She was very happy being a homeowner.

Sorry, I know it doesn't help with ideas, but missing my lovely mum nowadays, and whenever I read "money-saving" hints, I think of her - she could money-save for England! (Anyone else remember "turning" the sheets - when they got worn in the middle, cut down the middle, turn and sew up with the edges now the middle - new lease of life.

Nowadays people think being careful with money is being mean....:confused:

[tigertiger]

My family just laugh at me..hubby says 'shes off on her moneysaving schemes again'!....but when they all see the rewards they are 'wow'!

hub still has a lot to learn so do kids

They are amazed by boots bargains that come for birthdays, christmas etc. 2000 nectar points has given me �30 in adams vouchers ( dont like the clothes but loads of thomas the tank stuff for ds for crimbo) Havent yet cashed in tesco points but will be doing soon!

Looking for cheaper insurance, getting a few quid off sky now and then has saved us quite a lot over the past few years....and every little helps......I LOVE THIS SITE!

[raymond 42]

My parents have a substancial amout of money going into there current
account monthly, the problem is their account was only paying 0.50%.
Through recieving martins e.mails, i have learnt that they could do a lot better, i convinced them to switch to the A&L now they are maximising
there money. Iwonder how many more parents are in this situation,
why not have a word with yours.